Sekaphiwe



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAS. A. BAZIN, OF CANTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SERAPHINE.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 2,682, dated J une 22, 1842.

To all whom t muy concern Be it known that I, JAMES A. Bazin, of

Canton, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Reed Musical Instrument Usually Denominated the Seraphine, of whichimprovements the following a is full and exact description, reference being had therein to the accompanying` drawings, which, in connection with the said description, formed my specification, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my inventions by which they may be distinguished from others of like character, together' with such parts thereof as I claim and for which I solicit Letters Patent.

Of the drawings above referred to Figure l is a perspective representation of a portion of the instrument (containing one and onehalf octaves) detached from the right hand end of it, the instrument in its external appearance and keys resembling an ordinary piano forte though in its size it is much smaller. Fig. 2 is the same, but exhibiting the wind chest and reeds turned up into the requisite position for tuning. Fig. 3 is a cross vertical section, while Fig. 4: is a left hand end view, exhibiting the cam for producing swell. Fig. fexhibits one of the valves with its pin and key; Fig. 6, the scale on the key frame and case, for the purpose oftransposing; Fig. 7, one of the reed plates with the button to hold it down, and Fig. 8 the bar with the inclined plane for raising the front part of the key frame.

The platform o-r bottom of the instrument is composed of two pieces of wood A, A1; Figs. l, 2, 3, e, connected together by any suitable number of cross pieces A2, the back board A1 and the front board A being of suitable length and extending horizontally under the keys and operative parts, and serving to support the same.

A bar of wood B, ofsuitable shape, as seen in the drawings, is fastened down upon the top of the back board A1 of the platform, and extends longitudinally` just back or in rear of the keys; the object'of the bar beign to support the wind chest and reser` voir bellows.

The wind chest (Z2, Figs l, 3, or frame or box to which the reeds are aiiixed, rests, when in a horizontal position, in a rabbet a2 52 c2 Figs. l, 2, 3, formed in the front or perpendicular side of the bar B, and is connected with the bar at to-p 0r at or near the part a2 thereof, by hinges in such manner as to be capable of being turned upward or back as represented in Fig. 2. C represents the bar or back of the wind chest through which the pins F pass, that open the valves whichperinit the wind from the bellows to act upon the reeds. D, forming the top 0f the wind chest, is the board upon the lower side of which the reed plates H, Figs l, 2, 3, 7 are placed, the said board D having a bar or piece E fastened on its upper side, in front of the valves G, and project-ing over and somewhat above the said valves, as seen in the drawings. The pins F reach from the keys O to the valves G as seen in Fig. 5, and each pin has a small collar c2, or other proper contrivance, upon it, to prevent it from falling through the hole in which it is situated when the wind chest is turned back or when the key is removed.

The reed plates H, Figs. l, 2, 3, 7, are made 0f sheet brass with the edges turned up to stiffen them, and are in general in every respect similar to those of the cornmon seraphine or accordion. The reeds or tongues of the same, which are also similar to those in use in the above mentioned instruments, should vary in length and width according to the tone required from each, through the six octaves. These plates H may be fastened upon thelower side of the board D, by buttons or screws, or in any other convenient manner; and directly over each reed a suitable elongated slot or perforation should be cut through the board, as in the seraphine and other instruments of this nature, each of which slots or openings is covered by one of the valves G, which rests on the top of the board D, and which valve is suitably hinged thereto at its front end and pressed down upon its seat byv aA suitable wire spring f2 Figs. 3, 5. The valve may be connected to the board D by a small pin Fig. 5, projecting from the lower side of the valve, and entering and working in a corresponding or suitable hole in the board D. Each valve G is sloped olf on its top or rear part, and is supported in place during its movements by a pin c, Fig. 3 (driven into the board D) on each side of its rear end, or it may be supported in any other convenient manner.

The reservoir bellows l consist of two boards g2 7a2, Figs. 2, 3, suitably hinged together at their lower edges, the board h2 being atIiXed to the rear or sloping side of the bar B and having a suitable opening U, Fig. 3, formed through it for the passage of the air from the bellows into the space below the piece of leather T. The sides of the bellows are made of pasteboard or thin boards with leather joints similar to the bellows of an organ. A covering T of leather extends from the reservoir bellows, or top edge of the board h2 to the rear and top edge of the bar F, the said covering being Flexible is bent up as seen in Fig. 2, when the wind chest and parts connected thereto are turned up as seen in the said figure.

The lo-wer board J1 and Jfront board J of the wind chest I denominate the damper. The ends of the lower board slide in suit` able grooves formed in the inner sides of the ends of the wind chest, one of these ends with the groove 1, being shown at e, Fig. 2. The rear edge of the lower board J1 abuts and fits closely against the front side of the bar C. The other board J is hinged to the board J1 at 7a2, Fig. 3, and when it is turned up it shuts or rests against the -front edge of the to-p of the wind chest. In order to let the wind which is blown through the reed plates escape when the damper is closed there is a hole V, Fig. 2, formed through the side e, and opening into the space which communicates with that in the back part of the instrument under the cover K.

The wind bellows I and other parts are inclosed in a suitable casing V similar in appearance to that of a pianoforte, the top or lid K of which, is hinged at its rear end so that it may be raised at pleasure. The front edge of the board, or that which in Fig. 3 rests on the upper part of the bar E, should shut upon a piece of soft leather m2. l/Vhen the lid K is turned down, so as to close the space in which the bellows I is situated-the sound proceeding from the vibration of the bellows and part T will be damped. A board L is hinged to the bar E, the said board being of suHicient width to extend over and rest upon the top edge of the front or name board n2, Fig. 3. The board L, on being closed or turned down horizontally, serves to dampen or soften the tone of the reeds, when the damper J is open.

The key frame M, formed in the usual manner has a groove WV Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, upon its lower side which shuts over or upon a ledge C2 Figs. l, 2, fixed upon the rear part otl the top of the board A. The key frame may be slid or moved lengthwise upon the ledge a distance of one octave, and it should balance upon said ledge so as to be tilted into the position represented by the dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4. The front part of the key frame rests on the bar N,

which is hinged upon the front part of the board A-so as to be raised at any time into the position as denoted by the dotted lines in Figs. 3, 4. The bar N serves to raise the front part of the key-frame-and consequently to diminish the dip of the keys. The elevation of the bar N is eiiected by an inclined plane O3, Fig. S, which passes under the pin il, Figs. 2, 8, on the front part of the bar N, and which, by being moved to the right or lett, increases or diminishes the dip of the keys. The under edge of the bar O3, or base of the inclined plane rests on a spring j under the platform, which spring though of sufficient strength to resist the ordinary touch of the keys will give way under a little heavier pressure and thus a swell may be produced by pressing the keys down to the full depth.

The keys C are made in the same manner as those which have always been in use tor organs and pianofortes, ditt'ering from the latter only in having the ront ends a little heavier than the back ones, and the highest and lowest notes of an equal length. The back ends of the keys are divided equally to correspond with the pins F in the bar O, which are at equal distances apart, the twelve semitones occupying the space of about six and three-eighths inches. Cn the front edge of the key frame, or on a bar attached to it, there is an equally divided scale p2 on which the letters of the keys are marked as shown in Fig. 6. There is also a scale Q2, Fig. 6, on the front of the case of the instrument, marked with the letters of the reed plates. These scales are so adjusted as to correspond when the keys are in the center of the instrument, as represented by Fig. 6; but by lifting up the wind chest so as to raise the pins F from the keys, the key board can be moved laterally either to the right or left; by which means, the C key can be made to sound any one of the twelve semitones in the octave. In this way the pitch of the instrument will be either raised or lowered and the difference will be shown by the difference in the two scales. Thus, when the C on the upper scale is placed over the D on the lower one, the pitch of the instrument will be raised one note, consequently music played on the key of Cr or one sharp will be in the pitch of A or three sharps, and when the C is placed over the A# or Bb music played in the key of F, or one flat, will be in the pitch of Eb, or three dats and so on through all the letters in the scale.

Cn the board f, Fig. ll, (upon which the cover K rests when shut,) there is a lever Q having a pin g in it see Figs. 2, 4t, which passes under the cover K and is raised by the cam R on the same board the cam being drawn forward by a rod 7L, passing out in front of the case similar to the stop of an u g2, of the bellows an ordinary safety valve Y, Fig. 3, opening inwardly, which comes in contact with a pin Z, on the back of the instrument and permits the wind to escape when there is a superabundance in the reservoir. The air is forced into the reservoir bellows, (through any suitable number of holes a (shown in F ig. 3, by dotted lines) in the triangular bar 13,) by means of bellows placed under the platform A A1, which bellows may be operated by treadles or in any convenient manner.

The instrument can be put into a case similar to that of a pianoforte or in one of any other desirable forms the case being made without any bottom to'it except at the two ends, on which the ends of the platform are to rest.

Vhenever the wind chest is thrown back into the position shown in Fig. 2, access may be had to the reeds, for tuning or repairing them, the connection between the wind chest and reservoir being made, as above set forth, to admit the same.

Having thus described my improvements I shall claiml. The manner of arranging the wind chest or connecting it with the reservoir bellows as hereinbefore described, that is, by making the intervening top part T of some exible material by the vibration of which the tone is greatly increased and hinging the wind chest to the bar B as set forth so asto allow of said wind chests being raised in order to move the keyboard or of being turned back for the purpose of tuning or repairing the reeds, without disconnecting it from the reservoir bellows.

2. The manner of changing the pitch of the instrument by the movable key board, by means of which music can be transposed from one key into any other without altering the ngering.

3. The manner of softening' the tone of the instrument by diminishing the dip of the keys, and by that means the quantity of wind which passes through the reed plates, the whole being substantially as above set forth.

In witness that the foregoing is a true description of my said invention and improvements T have hereto set my signature.

JAMES A. BAZIN.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, EZRA LINCOLN, Jr. 

